EconJobMarket®

The Department of Economics invites applicants for 1-2 postdoctoral research fellows in labor and/or public economics. The positions involve 25% teaching and administrative duties. We seek a diverse pool of applicants.

The position(s) will be funded primarily by either the Norwegian Research Council Young Research Talents Project 345156 on behavioral responses to taxes and benefit incentives (TAXBUNCH), headed by Associate Professor Martin E. Andresen, or by the European Research Council Starting Grant Project 10104312 on Labor Market Flexibility (LABFLEX) headed by Professor Manudeep Bhuller.

The aim of the TAXBUNCH project is to understand what causes the relatively weak labor supply response to the incentives in tax and benefits schedules, and the implications for welfare and optimal design of tax and benefit systems. The project will explore and disentangle explanations such as career concerns, information frictions, optimization barriers, credit constraints and the role of income volatility. The project will rely on extensive Norwegian registry data and modern microeconometric methods.

The aim of the LABFLEX project is to understand the causes and consequences of labor market flexibility. The project seeks to uncover determinants of workers’ job choices, dispersion in pay and non-pay job characteristics, and sources of wage inequality. The project will also focus on the roles of alternative work arrangements and collective bargaining. The project will rely on extensive Norwegian registry data and combine these data with targeted surveys, apply experimental and non-experimental/structural methods, and state-of-the-art econometrics.

Knowledge and experience with applied econometrics, labor and/or public economics and programming is required. Candidates with experience with estimation of structural models that may benefit and enrich the project(s) may also be considered. Strong English language proficiency (written and oral) is required, additionally mastering Norwegian or another Scandinavian language may be valued for the TAXBUNCH project.

Candidates should hold or expect to complete a PhD degree no later than 30 September 2024.

For questions, please contact

Head of Department, Prof. Steinar Holden, email: steinar.holden@econ.uio.no
Principal Investigator for the TAXBUNCH project, Martin E. Andresen, email: m.e.andresen@econ.uio.no.
Principal Investigator for the LABFLEX project, Manudeep Bhuller, email: manudeep.bhuller@econ.uio.no.

This full-time post is available from 1 February 2024 (or nearest possible date) on a fixed term basis until 31 July 2025, with good possibility of extension. The main purpose of the posts is to conduct applied research to translate academic science into environmental, economic and social benefits.

The post

The LEEP ethos recognises the connections within and across both the environment and economy and the links between these systems. Our highly interdisciplinary team includes expertise from a range of research backgrounds including Economics, Data sciences, Geospatial analysis, Policy analysis, Maths and Statistics, Environmental and Conservation sciences. Furthermore, we collaborate with an even wider array of disciplines. We are interested in both deepening and broadening our skill base.

We are seeking researchers excited by the prospect of using quantitative methods to develop evidence, analyses and tools that address the major environmental challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century including: climate change; biodiversity loss and environmental pollution.

You will join a team actively working in this domain with research themes that include: the trade-offs between land use, food and the environment; landscape portfolio optimisation; use of remote sensing data to build and calibrate models and tools; the incorporation of complexities such as risk; emulation of complex models to deliver real-time decision analysis; development of decision support systems; environment related welfare and distribution challenges including access to high quality environments; and many others. You will collaborate with the LEEP team in delivering research outputs in these themes and have the opportunity to develop your own research in these or related areas.

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or nearing completion) or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in a related subject area and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

LEEP

The LEEP Institute is a thriving research centre committed to devising evidence-led solutions to the major environmental, economic and wellbeing challenges facing humanity. LEEP has over 50 members and maintains partnerships with leading researchers and institutes worldwide. It contributes to leading research in integrated environment-economy modelling, environmental resource management, environmental valuation, biodiversity analysis and economics, natural capital accounting, sustainability, and related policy and decision making (see example work below). Alongside its international academic profile, LEEP also has an extremely strong track record of working with government and business delivering substantial impact in terms of enhancing the incorporation of the environment within decision making.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99% of our research is of international quality and 47% is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

Further Information

For further information please contact Ian Bateman, email I.Bateman@exeter.ac.uk.

Interviews are expected to take place on 18 January 2024.

To apply, visit https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=177543hLp5&WVID=3817591jNg&LANG=USA. (See posting for details.)